The Proposal
by Sareele
Summary: There are many ways to propose to a girl, luckily. The first dozen will probably pass right over my former apprentice's head, seeing as she has the attention span of a Kuriboh and a mental capacity to match. Why am I in love with her again? DMGxDM!
1. Part 1

**The Proposal - Part 1**

I think it's a proven fact that proposing to a girl is even harder than telling her you love her in the first place. I mean, it shouldn't be. She already knew that I loved her. Great. We spent literally every moment together. Very great. So, this shouldn't be hard, right?

Wrong. I glared at another passing couple. Here I was, walking through the shopping district in the Duel Monster realm that mirrored the human realm, glaring at every married couple that chanced to go by me. They didn't even notice, too wrapped up in each other. Probably married for decades. Hmf!

Okay, so I shouldn't be jealous. But you just don't understand! See, if proposing isn't already nerve-wrecking enough to do once, my girlfriend was probably not going to notice and I was going to have to repeat myself. As I had to do very often. So you see, I'm not as nervous about proposing. I'm nervous that she's not going to _notice_.

My girlfriend is my former apprentice. She had passed the tests under my direction and claimed the official status of Dark Magician Girl. I had been reluctant to let her go before because I was worried that she would disappear from my world after passing. But as I had revealed my heart to her and she in return, I had no fear and gladly let her take the exam. I felt a pang of loss when she passed. After all, I wouldn't be calling her "apprentice" affectionately anymore, and she wouldn't be calling me "master".

Well, it wasn't too different. She insisted that I called her "Dark Magician Girl" every time I saw her; "DMG" if I felt it was a mouthful. It was her way of enjoying her new rank. I let her enjoy it, always adding _my_ in front or _dear_, which would please her. After all, she was mine! Mine! After all the trouble I went through! Triumph!

Another passing couple made me focus back on my decision. We had been together for two years. She was going to be eighteen soon. And I felt that it was the best time to ask her to spend the rest of her life with me.

Of course, deciding that was the easiest part. My girlfriend was still a child at heart, and when I say child, I don't mean a ten-year-old or an eight-year-old. I mean a two-year-old. It was adorable, sure. And I loved it. But it did make things inconvenient when you had to ask her to marry you.

I had already suffered a few failed _hintings_. We were walking together one day and we had passed a jewelry store. The display was in the window. There was a nice silver ring set with a diamond. I had brought her closer to the window and pointed to the ring.

"Isn't it nice?" I had asked. DMG had stared. I had thought maybe she had gotten what I had hinted, but instead she had replied,

"You know, all this jewelry is messing up my reflection on the glass!"

I had resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"No, the ring!" I had repeated.

"What?" she had asked, looking at the ring. "Oh, the ring." And in the same sentence: "What do I need a ring for? Come on, I want to see the park!"

And just like that, it had ended. You know, I thought women adored jewelry. But I realized she preferred the flashy, colorful kind. How typical.

Anyway, another day we had been walking on the road and a newlywed couple had sped through the town on a Dragon. They were still in their wedding clothes and there was a 'Just Married' sign hanging from the tail of the Dragon. Of course, DMG had started to squeal and clap and I had taken a chance and said,

"You know, someday that might be us."

Had I really expected her to hear me? She had dashed off after the Dragon. And in a few seconds, I had realized that she was intent on following them. I then ran off after her. So much for that.

That was in the past. This was the present. Now there was a ring much like the one in that display in my pocket. I patted it reassuringly. Tonight was the night I was going to stop hinting around (not like she had really paid attention to it, anyway) and actually propose.

I had picked a quiet place for that (she was _not_ going to run off this time!). There was a nice restaurant nearby. That was where I was walking to at the moment. I had told her to meet me there later. That way, I could arrange a little 'surprise' with the cook. I took a deep breath. Well…here it goes!

………

My knee shook. I grabbed my knee with my hand to stop it. My hand shook. I clenched my teeth. My eyes darted around. I placed my hands on the table and drummed anxiously. My throat felt dry. I tried to take a sip of water but I realized I had already emptied the glass. My hands were too shaky. I opened my mouth to call for a waiter but my voice had disappeared. That was the last straw. I stopped moving, mentally slapping myself. _She's not here yet! Just be calm!_

I was sitting at a table near a window in the restaurant, watching the sky grow romantically dark outside. DMG was due in less than ten minutes. My behavior had definitely grown more nervous as the hour had passed. It had started with a few sips of water, followed by toe tapping. Now my entire body felt like it was crawling with ants. So much for calm.

My body told me when she walked in through the door before I fully realized it. As soon as my eyeballs registered her small frame in the doorway, my legs immediately shot up with no concern for the table that hovered over my kneecaps. They hit the edge with a loud bang, and I muffled a strangled cry. That was how she saw me. Bent over in pain on the table, my mouth open like the Worm Drake had strangled me. Great.

She giggled, running up to me and throwing her arms around my neck. Better. I kissed her lightly and let her sit across from me. It made me less nervous as I took the time to appreciate her outfit. It was a light pink sundress with light blue flowers all over it. She had painted her nails to match and she was wearing adorable white sandals. I looked back at her face. Cute. I love this girl.

"So, how have you been all day?" I asked politely. I didn't dare say her name; my throat might freeze up again.

"Good! Good! I was out with my friends all day! It was really a blast. You should come one day; I would love for them to meet you! I mean, seriously, we've been dating, what, for, like, two years now. You still haven't met all the people I know. They would just adore you!" She said this in one excited breath. I grinned.

"Sure." I patted the ring in my pocket. I could just imagine her introducing me after I proposed. It was something to look forward to.

"Would you like to order, now, sir?" asked a nearby waiter. I hadn't even looked at the menu.

"Sure," I replied.

………

DMG gave me a funny stare. I stopped tapping the table glass. Instead, my foot started tapping. I squeezed my fingers together. It had been bad enough during the beginning of dinner. I had dropped the fork many times. I had knocked over my water twice. My girlfriend was being very patient with me, I could tell. Now, after they had cleared away the dishes, I had nothing to distract myself.

"Your dessert will arrive shortly, sir," the waiter said. Then, as he turned away from DMG, he winked at me and left. The signal. I really had to control myself now.

"What's wrong?" DMG asked. I looked at her. I realized I had bit my lip and shifted weirdly in my seat.

"Nothing!" Oh the horror! I had squeaked! DMG raised her eyebrows at me. I threw my hands on the table. "I…uh…" Before I could move, my girlfriend covered my hands with her own. Her emerald eyes held my gaze.

"If there's anything you want to talk about, I'm right here." I took a deep breath. It was okay. It was all going to go over okay.

"I love you." She smiled.

"I love you, too," she said, patting my hand. Okay, I felt better now.

I saw the waiter. Okay, take back what I said.

"Here comes the dessert!" DMG said, clapping her hands together. A waiter I hadn't seen before or talked to came in carrying two silver-covered dishes. He came to our table and stopped. He had a forced smile on his face. He looked new and unsure. He strained to keep a calm expression. His hands shook. He looked more nervous than I did. I started feeling more nervous. What was going on? Was he _trying_ to get me to jump out of my seat?

"Your dessert, sir," he said. He started to bend forward, then stopped, and then placed one of the platters down. Was I imagining everything going in slow motion?

I looked in front of us. The platter was sitting in the exact center. The contents were covered by the silver dome. I already knew what was inside. It was a small cake that could easily be shared by two people. Chocolate, DMG's favorite, of course. And as soon as I lifted the cover, she would see the icing. _Will you marry me?_ It would read in pink. And then I would whip out my ring and confirm my proposal.

DMG stared, begging me with my eyes to remove the cover. The waiter left to deliver the other platter. I locked my eyes with the silver then up to her face. I wanted to see every single part of her expression. I raised my hand. It shook in midair as I reached for the handle. I grasped. I pulled. And I watched my girlfriend's face as I lifted the cover.

She screamed. Yes, screamed! Not a happy, delighted scream. A terrified, blood-curling shriek. My heart jumped to my throat as I looked down, and I too yelled. It wasn't a cake that met my vision! It was a giant, tentacled…_thing!_

"Gah! What did you _order_?" she cried. I held out my arms.

"Not this!" I replied. I looked around for the waiter with the platter. Oh no…_the platter!_ He had gotten them mixed up! That's why he was nervous! He _was_ unsure!

I panicked! My cake! _My _cake was out there! I had to get it back before someone else wrongly got the message! I jumped to my feet, the table and everything on it shaking dangerously. I didn't even look at DMG's expression as I ducked into the lower floor where everyone was dining. Some people gave me funny stares as I ran by, but I saw the waiter at the far end. Damn! I had wasted too much time in opening the stupid non-cake.

I wanted to yell stop, I really I did. I ran towards him silently instead. Everyone was watching at this point. He approached a young couple: A Celtic Guardian and a Mystical Elf. They smiled up at him as he bent over. The Celtic Guardian reached up and grasped the handle.

_No!_ I screamed in my head. It was too late. Just as I had reached his side, the elf had removed the cover. He stared at it and his eyes widened when he saw the message. By this time, I was standing right behind the waiter, my head screaming in horror. The waiter cringed visibly. Mystical Elf got up and looked at the cake. Oh no. Oh no. Her hands shot up to her face, covering her mouth. Celtic Guardian looked up at her. His face screamed: _no, I really don't mean it!_ My head was screaming: _he really doesn't mean it_.

"Do you really mean it?" she asked. Celtic Guardian stared at me. Awkward…should I say something?

"Of course, dear. Surprised?" the Guardian asked before I could say anything. My jaw dropped to the floor. The Mystical Elf squealed and shouted excitedly. Because I had run over here, everyone was now watching the scene.

"He proposed to me!" she gushed and everyone clapped. I gritted my teeth. I was ready to wring the waiter's neck. That was _my_ proposal, dammit! I wanted to hurt him so badly!

I got my wish. Seconds later, someone collided into me from behind. I collided into the waiter. The waiter collided into the cake he was still holding. The cake collided with Celtic Guardian's face. I looked back. Apparently DMG had run after me and tripped on her sandals. How typical.

"Oh…uh…sir…I'm…sorry!" the waiter stuttered. Mystical Elf giggled and proceeded to clean up her now-fiancée's face with a napkin. DMG rushed over to her.

"Did he really propose to you?" she asked. Mystical Elf giggled and nodded, blushing furiously. DMG clasped her hands together and turned to me.

"Wasn't that so sweet?" she gushed. "I wish that could've happened to me!" I gaped at her. I wanted to say it was _our _cake, not theirs. I wanted to tell her the waiter's error. But while I stood there, watching my girlfriend (still only girlfriend) chat with the newly (and unintentionally) engaged Elf, my brain could only repeat one thing over and over in my head.

_This. Is. Not. Fair. _


	2. Part 2

**The Proposal - Part 2**

The rest of the dinner was horrible. Just horrible. After the proposal-gone-wrong that left a Mystical Elf and Celtic Guardian engaged instead of me and DMG, I had retreated to sulk at the table. The cook came by and apologetically offered me another cake, but I stared at him. No. Today was obviously the other couple's day. I wasn't going to ruin it further. He brought in a replacement dessert and quickly removed the tentacle mess that was previously on our table.

At least DMG was happy. She had found the proposal so romantic and perfect. She didn't stop talking about it the entire time, which made me feel like I had just taken a White Lightening blast from a Blue-Eyes head on. I don't really remember what had she said. I was thinking only one thing. _That was __**my**__ proposal! _

That memory still burned in my mind. It was a day after the whole fiasco, but I had a horrible feeling in my gut. Maybe I just wasn't meant to propose to the girl?

Don't be silly, I told myself. You just need to propose in a way that suits her. Sure she found that romantic, but it wasn't _her_.

Then what is _her_?

………

I really shouldn't have asked myself that question.

"Get off my face!" I muttered for the umpteenth time, swatting away the giant brown fuzz ball with green eyes. The Kuriboh looked at me. It wasn't any less enthusiastic about licking my face. At least it was just _one_ of them.

The other Kuriboh floated around randomly. They were cute, I had to admit, but I had been working with them all through the morning and afternoon, and I had only gotten most of them to understand that I was neither a scratching post nor a postage stamp.

Why did I go and answer my own question?

Most people might find it insulting if they were compared to a Kuriboh, but not DMG. They were actually similar enough to be considered freaky. They both had green eyes and the same softness of hair. They were both equally empty-headed and impossible to control. And they both liked me way too much.

"Stop licking me!" I shouted again, finally grabbing the one persistent Kuriboh and throwing it back with the others. It was light as a balloon. There was one difference. I enjoyed it when DMG kissed me. These creatures were another thing all together…

"Okay," I said, well aware that I was talking to a bunch of Kuriboh. "Now, we practice this. I want to get it done by evening, okay?"

Did they understand me? They all looked at me with their questioning green eyes.

"It's easier than you guys think…" if they could think… "All you need to do is align yourselves the way I say so." The Kuriboh looked at me weirdly. I didn't know how I could really tell their expressions, but somehow I knew. And whether they understood what they were doing or not, Ra dammit they were going to obey me by the time nightfall arrived.

………

I felt the familiar dread of the previous night come over me. There was no waiter to wink at me or confuse platters. There were no people watching. It was just me, DMG, and a bunch of Kuriboh. Oh, yes, and a very large expanse of black sky sprinkled with stars and a lovely full moon. Good light. Maybe I would be lucky.

"What is it you want to show me?" my girlfriend asked, looking around. She was wearing a long blue dress that sparkled lightly. I took her hand in my own. Who cared about the sky? Her dress could outshine those stars. And those eyes of hers were brighter than any moon.

"This way," I said, taking her down the path. We came upon a small clearing soon enough. It was much like the clearing that I had first expressed my love to her, but it was smaller, and there was no tree stump in the middle.

"Kuriboh!" DMG squealed before I even had a chance to introduce them. They all rushed at her and she immediately embraced them all. I sighed, waiting patiently. Take your time, DMG, I muttered silently. Just ignore the fact that my heart is about to beat right out of my chest!

"Is this what you wanted to show me?" I turned back to DMG. She was on her knees in the grass, three DMG somehow squeezed into her arms. One was floating near her hair and the others were crowded around her on the grass. I placed my foot firmly down. I really wanted to run over there and kiss her, forgetting about this whole proposal thing until I properly showed her how much she affected me.

"Uh…" I said, my brain's energy being spent on fantasizing rather interesting situations with her. She kept her eyes on me. "Actually, the Kuriboh want to help me show you something." DMG raised her eyebrows.

"Really?" she asked. I cleared my throat and clapped my hands. The Kuriboh immediately perked up.

For one painful second, I feared they had _forgotten_ what I had taught them. Then, they suddenly started to float away from DMG into a formation. She watched as they formed words in the air with their bodies. She gasped silently.

Yeah, and right about there was when my fear became reality.

"Willy oogle muck?" she asked me, reading the words. I had been fingering the ring and watching her. I hadn't really paid attention to the little beasts.

"What?" I asked. I looked at them. Believe it or not, that's what they said. Willy oogle muck. Not 'will you marry me'. Willy oogle muck.

_Must. Not. Bang. Head. Against. Ground._

"No! Remember what I taught you!" I yelled at them. They all collectively swarmed and tried again. Wilk oy mang. Nope…it was hopeless! I sighed in defeat.

"Sorry," I apologized. "They don't seem to be getting it." DMG looked saddened. She turned back to the Kuriboh, who at least had the decency to be ashamed. I think.

"Come on, sweethearts!" DMG urged them. "I know you can remember what he taught you!" They looked at her. I looked at her. She stood up, her hands forming into little fists of determination.

"DMG…" I started, but she was no longer paying attention to me. There was a weird sort of fire in her eyes.

"Come on you guys," she said. "I know you can do it." The Kuriboh watched as she came closer into their little circle. She closed her eyes. I watched her with mine wide open.

"DMG…" I whispered.

"Listen to me! All of you!" she continued after ignoring me. "A few years ago, I was in your same position. I was an Apprentice, and this man behind me was my Master. Every day he would try long and hard to teach me everything he knew so that I could be successful. And every day I would try my best to listen and learn! It wasn't easy. I was small. I wasn't very smart. It was hard work!" DMG opened her eyes and looked at all the Kuriboh.

"But I kept on doing what I had to because I know he taught me because he believed I could do it! And that's why he's taught all of you! Because he knows he can count on you!" DMG lapsed into silence, looking at all the Kuriboh in the eye.

I slowly blinked once, then twice. Was she…giving them…a don't-give-up speech? My girlfriend was giving a speech to…a bunch of Kuriboh? What?

"Now listen. It might be hard for you to remember what he told you. But there's a time for play and there's a time for work. And right now, you guys have to pull together and fight! Remember the formation he asked you! Show him that he can count on you!"

Yes, it was true. She _was_ giving them the encouraging speech. My girlfriend, the Dark Magician Girl, was…oh my Gods. This was just way too unbelievable to believe.

What was even more unbelievable was that they were _listening_ to her. Yes, the Kuriboh that I had spent the entire day training to only end up with a bunch of jumbled letters were actually forming up _correctly_ because DMG had "fired" them up to do it.

Maybe they ran on the same wavelength and she could connect to them better?

Should I be worried that my girlfriend potentially ran on the same wavelength as a bunch of Kuriboh?

As I watched, and then nervously made a wild grab for the ring in my pocket, the Kuriboh lined up just as I had taught them to. I watched DMG's face. She looked proud of their accomplishment.

"Will you marry me!" she read and clapped her hands. "It makes sense. Good job, you guys!" Then, she turned to me. "Is that what you wanted it to say?"

I nodded. She smiled.

"See, I knew they could do it! Now come on, I want to go back to the building's roof and see the stars up close!"

I gaped at her. Did…she…not…read?

DMG started to walk passed me. I stared at the Kuriboh, mortified. She didn't _get it_?

Her feet made soft sounds on the grass. Then…she stopped. I could hear the silence. Well, not really…

She came running back to me. I saw her eyes looked a little more surprised and her cheeks were starting to tinge light pink.

HA! So she _didn't_ run on their wavelength. She could _comprehend!_ I was a little bit relieved.

"Is that…was that…"

I got down on one knee. I held out the ring. I told the knee on the ground not to suddenly give away.

"Darling. You are just too amazing for words. Marry me?"

I took in a breath.

She smiled.

"You are also too amazing for words." She rushed into my arms. My knee didn't listen to me. We both promptly fell over the grass.

Of course, a little later, when my fingers were tangled in her hair and her lips were pressed against mine, I decided it was actually not that bad.

She pulled away.

"That was almost as romantic as the cake," she said. "Did you get inspired by Celtic Guardian?"

_Must. Not. Slap. My. Forehead._

"No words, my dear," I said. "Just kisses." I fingered the ring, now securely on her finger. She smiled and obeyed.


End file.
